BEIJING - China's State Council approved, in principle, the general urban planning for two provincial capitals, Harbin and Haikou, for the coming ten years, according to statements posted on the government's website Friday.

Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, is a key center in northeastern China and an important manufacturing base, while Haikou, capital of southern China's Hainan province, is a tourist resort, noted a statement.

The urban planning for Harbin includes an area of 7,086 square kilometers. The population in major urban areas should be kept below 4.6 million and the land set aside for construction should remain below 458 square kilometers by 2020, noted the statement.

The urban planning for Haikou covers 2,304.8 square kilometers of area. There, the population in major urban areas should stay below 1.8 million and the land set aside for construction should be within 209 square kilometers by 2020, according to another statement.

The statements stress balanced urban-rural development, reasonable city sizes and improved urban infrastructure.

Also, the cities' historic and cultural features should be properly protected, the statements said.